Refrigerator-car



(No Model.)

' I 2 S hee tsSheet 1. W. FLANAGAN. REFRIGERATOR-GAR.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

PLANAGAN REFRIGERATOR GAR.

(No Model.)

No. 344,0 9 Patnted JunRZZ, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FLANAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,039, dated June 22,1886.

Application filed September 16, 1385. Serial No. 177,233. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FLANAGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Oars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The general object of myinvention is to provide an improved constructionof refrigerator car which can be used to advantage either as a summer orWinter car for transporting perishable articles, and which,when suppliedwith ice as a means for reducing the temperature of the car, shalleffect the saving of ice and maintain an even temperature throughout theinterior of the car.

The special objects are, first, to provide a more convenient arrangementof doors in connectionwith a lining of some non-conducting substancewhich surrounds the interior of the car-space; secondly, to providetheice-box arranged at one end of the car with an improved arrangementof upper and lower air-passages for more effectively inducing thecirculation of air between the end and the middle portion of thecar-space; thirdly, to provide in connection with air-passages arrangedoutside of the car-body an improved organization of ventilatiiigpassageswhich connect with the interior car-space; fourthly, to provide improvedmeans for securing the door of the car; fifthl y, to provide saidimproved detail of construction, all as hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation a refrigeratorcar embodying the principles of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transversesection through the car-body. Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating ahorizontal section taken through one of the end corner portions of thecar-body, and serving to illustrate one of the jointed side plates inposition to close one of the side and one of the end air-passages whichare arranged to open at the end corners of the car-body. Fig. 4 is adetail showing a horizontal transverse section through the meeting edgeportions of one of the inner sliding double doors, and showingprincipally in plan a locking device desirably employed to draw and holdthe meeting edges of the said sliding double doors together. Fig. 5 is adetail taken through Fig. 4 on the line as so, so as to show thedoubleratchetand pawls and pawl-lcverin side elevation. Fig. 6 is avertical longitudinal section on the line y, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a plansection on a horizontal plane through the car-body.

Theinterior space of the carbody is partitioned off transversely at eachend portion, so as to provide the two ice-receiving chambers A A, intowhich ice can be filled from an opening through the top of the car. hebulk of the ice within each of these end compartments is exposed to themain interior carspace, A, but adjacent to the ceiling a passage isprovided which is separate and distinct from the space that permits thesaid exposure of the ice through the partition, whereby in effect eachice-receiving compartment communicates with the main interior of the carthrough two open passages, the one, B, extending from a point not farabove the floor up to a point desirably somewhat higher than the middleof the distance between the floor and the ceiling, the other, B,extending down a short distance from the ceiling, and both extending theentire width of the interior space from one side wall to the other. Theconstruction of partition for thus permitting each compartment tocommunicate with the main interior space by upper and lower spaces orpassages is desirably the same for each compartment, and may in eachinstance be formed as follows: Studding O is extended from the floor tothe ceiling, and to this is secured a width of horizontallyarrangedboarding, D, which is set down sufficiently below the ceiling to providethe upper transversely-arranged narrow passage, B, and the lowertransverselyarranged wide passage or space, B. The horizontally-arrangedperforated icepan E is supported from and between the studding and theadjacent end wall of the car, and is set over a drip-pan, E, whichlatter is also raised somewhat above the floor, so as to expose the coldunder sides of the ice and the drip-pans to the air within the car, andalso to utilize such refrigeration as may be obtained from the coldwater dripping from the icepans to the drip-pans. Lattice-work F,preferably of stout wire, is applied against the studding G, and isformed to extend from the divisioustrip or boarding-D down to theicepan, in which way the body of the ice be tween the strips D and theice-pans will be well exposed to the main interior car-space, and at thesame time the ice prevented from accidentally falling out from itsallotted chamber. To further aid in holding the ice within theice-chamber and to strengthen the structure transversely -arrangedstrips G can be secured to the studding, the strips and the lattice-workbeing in such case respectively applied against opposite sides of thesame.

By reason of the foregoing construction a circulation of air will bemaintained between each end and the middle of the main interior space ofthe car-body, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 6, itbeing evident that asthe air becomes cooled and condensed within the icecompartment and alongthe exposed ice it will descend, thus inducing from the upper portion ofthe main space currents tojsu'pply its place, the refrigerated air insuch case passing toward the middle of the car and supplying the placeof such air as may by reason of a somewhat higher temperature rise andcirculatetoward the top passages, B,of the icecompartments. An equaltemperature will thus be practically maintained throughout the entireportion of the space between .the two ice-receiving compartments, and athermometer will searcelyindicate a perceptible change in any portion ofthe car. v

In Fig. 6a passage, A, is shown, formed throngh the top of the car,whereby ice can be introduced into one of the ice-receptacles, and adoor, A is provided for opening and closing the said passage. It isunderstood, however, that a similar passage and door are provided foreach ice-receptacle.

Wateris drained from the drip-pans by drip -'spouts E arranged to extenddown through the bottom of the car, and are conveniently located at oneend of each pan, the pans being in practice sufficiently inclined topermit the water to pass to the drip-spouts.

Effective ventilation is attained through the medium of a series ofshort air-passages, A, leading from the upper portion of the maininterior space, and desirably formed by means of small tubes arranged toextend vertically through the topof the car-body, their lower endsopeningat points along the ceiling and their upper ends opening into anair-passage 1 that is formed along and over the entire top of thecar-body.

The entire car is jacketed or inclosed by a casing adapted to provideairpassages, which open at the ends of the car, and between theseair-spaces and the inner top, bottom, side, and end'walls of the car isprovided a packing of some suitable non-conductor of heat, which latterof itself serves as a most important and efficient means for preservingthe ice.

The air-passages surrounding the car are in the, main similar to thoseshown in the car of Letters Patent of the United States No.

304,197, assigned in part to myself; but I have found their presence inconnection with the packing to materially add to the general efficiencyof the structure as a refrigerator-car, and to conduce to beneficialresults which it has been found impossible to attain by the car of saidpatent. The top air-space or air-passage, H, the bottom air space orpassage, H, and the two side air-spaces or air-passages, H, all extendthe entire length of the carbody and open at the ends thereof, while thetwo end air-spaces or air-passages, H, open at the sides at and alongthe terminals of the two longitudinal side passages, H

The boarding forming the exterior of the car-body and providing theouter walls of the several air-passages is secured to appro priatelyarranged scantling, of which the pieces h, for the top, sides, andbottom, extend longitudinally along the car-body, while the I I, of theair-passages and to serve, in conjunction withthe next inner studding,K, to provide a strong and substantial construction of car-body. Thesubstantial boarding, I, is secured to the outer sides of the studding Kat the top, bottom, sides, and end portions of the car-body, whereof thestudding is more desirably placedvertically at its side and endportions, and transversely along its top and bottom portions, as hereinillustrated.

To theinner side of the entire system of studding K is secured a thinboarding, L, which provides around the entire car at all points betweenthe studding a packing-space to be filled with a packing, M, of somesuitable non-conductor of heat, desirably sawdust. The thin boarding Lalso serves to provide walls at one side of the spaces allottedfor theinner doors when the latter are pushed back, as hereinafter described,and in addition to the foregoing it provides a backing for a layer, N,of stout paper or felting, which is practi cally continuous throughoutthe several sides of the car-body.

Against the inner side of layer or sheeting of paper or felting isarranged the boarding O, appropriate for the interior walls of the car-bodythat is to say, for the floor, the ceiling, and the side and endwalls. The main interior. space of the car body, to gether with-the ice-.receptacles at the two ends thereof, will be thus inclosed by acomposite wall composed of the several strata of boardingandnon-eonducting packing, to which. the required strength and rigidityis given by the studding. The several strata of boarding and packing allextend straight from side to side and end to end of the car-body, andare practically continuous,

except atthe points of interruption that are necessitated for doorwaysat the sides, and serve to provide a composite wall having the minimumof thickness practically attainable in a wall adapted to provide aneffective nonconducting car-body.

Each side of the car bod y is provided with a doorway and two doors. Ofthese the double inner doors, P P,when opened, are pushed back intospaces p, Fig. 7, reserved between the two strata of boarding I and L,whilethe outer single doors, 1?, when opened, are pushed back along theouter sides of the car-body, said outer doors being arranged to slide inways formed by strips or cleats P, that are secured to the car-body, soas to guide and support the doors. The inner double doors are whenclosed both drawn tightly together and held-by means of a right-and-leftscrew, Q, which is arranged and operated as follows: The screwisprovided with aright-hand thread along one end portion and a left-handthread along its opposite end portion, and is carried by one of thesliding portions or doors of the inner sliding double doorsappropriately recessed to receive and permit a longitudinal as well as arotary movement on the part of the screws, so that the latter can at oneend be extended from the edge of one of the sliding doors to engage in athreaded socket in the edge portion of the opposite sliding door.

A convenient attachment for operating the right-anddeft screw consistsof a pawl-lever, O, carrying two pawls, Q and Q, and a double ratchet.The said double ratchet is rigid upon the middle portion of the rightand leftthreaded screw bolt, and the pawl-lever is loosey hung upon thesaid bolt,for which latter purpose the pawllever is forked so as tostraddle the double ratchet, and has the ends of its two prongs bent toform loops or eyes, which are fitted to turn upon unthreaded portions ofthe bolt at points alongside the double pawl. The pawls will bespring-controlled in any suitable way, and arranged so that when onepawl is thrown into engagement with oneline of teeth of the doubleratchet the other pawl can be thrown out of engagement with theremaining line of ratchet-teeth, and held back against the pawl-levers,as shown in Fig. 5; hence, by employing one or the other of the pawlsand vibrating the lever by which they are carried the right-and-leftscrew-bolt can be turned in the direction desired. Space is formed inthe door for the end movement of the double pawl when an end movement isgiven to the bolt, upon which it is secured, so that the bolt can movelongitudinally to an extent sufficient to project one of its ends outfrom the door in which it is carried, or to retract its said end withinthe door, as may be required. The inner end threaded portion of the boltworks through stationary nut or hearing 0", secured in the door; but fora short distance back of the head,on the inner extremity of the bolt,thelatter is desirably unthreaded, so that after the bolt has beenprojected sufficiently to bring its said head up against the fixed nutthe bolt can still be turned so as to draw the other door, which isengaged by outer end of the bolt, tightly up against the edge of thedoor which carries the bolt. The outer doors when closed can be fastenedand locked in any desirable way.

To further tighten up the inner double doors and prevent them fromrattling during travel means are provided whereby they can be drawn andheld against the boarding L simple devices for such purposes beingprovided by bars R,which can be supported against the inner sides of thecar-body, and screw-bolts R, which, when the inner doors are closed, canbe inserted through the same and screwed into the bars so as to draw thebars and doors toward each other. The bars can be held in any desiredform of supports, R", secured to the inner sides of the car-body, andcan be re moved bodily therefrom when an entrance to the car is desired;or, if preferred, each bar could be secured at one end by a set-screwand at the other held in one of the said supports. A circulation of airis permitted and induced through the surrounding air-passages at alltimes when the passages are open, and in addition to such function theouter walls of the air-passages serve to protect the inner packedportion from the heat of the sun as well as from rain. Means are,however, provided for closing these air-passages in winter so as tosurround the car in extreme cold weather with a dead-air space, whichwill effective] y prevent perishable articles within the car fromfreezing.

of the sides of the car-body, in which way the plates can be drawn backand away from the ends of the air-passages, so as to lie against thesides of the car-body, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, or, whendesired, they can be moved toward the ends of the car so as to bringtheir hinges coincident with the corners of the body, and thus permitone of each pair of plates to be swung round against an end of thecar-body, while the remaining plate is left against the side thereof, asherein shown in the sectional detail, Fig. 3, in which one of thesejointed sliding plates is illustrated in position to close one of theside and end air-passages. The bottom air-passage can be closed byhinged plates T, Fig. 6, arranged to openor close the perforated endportions u of deflectors U, which are attached to the under side of thecar-body and arranged to provide appropriate months for catching the airand directing the same through openings a into the bottom passage, H.Any means suitable will also be provided for opening or closing the topairpassage-for example, plates Vcan be hinged to the ends of the car inposition to be swung up to close the passage at its ends. All of IIOthese closing-plates will have means approprithrough the jacket, and theinner doors, P,

ate for securing them in either an open or a closed positionfor example,the double plates at the sides of the car-body canbe provided withset-screws or catches, and the other plates can be provided withsuitable fastening media.

Perforated plates WV are desirably arranged at the ends of the top, theside, and the end air-passages, to serve as strainers and otherwiseguard the passages, and while wire-netting would subserve the samepurpose perforated plates are preferably employed.

As a means for conveniently hanging up meats within the car, rods 9 arearranged transversely across the interior space of the carbody andsecured at their ends in the sides thereof. The rods are arrangedhorizontally in position near the ceiling, from which latter they can befurther supported by straps, staples, or hangers 9, attached to theceiling. The height at which these rods are placed above the flooraffords an extent of space suitable for hanging up any of the articleswhich it is desirable to carry within a refrigerator-car.

At the top portion of the car-body space is usually left between thehorizontal boarding that forms the ceiling and the boarding that is nextto the felt, and which forms a double inclined slope downwardly from themiddle to the sides in conformity with the usual double slope of theroof, and, if preferred, this space can be packed with sawdust or othersuitable material, as in Fig. 2.

What I claim as my-invention is- 1. In a refrigerator-car, thedouble-Wall carbodyjacketed to provide surrounding air-passages, andprovided with a non-conducting material which fills the spaces betweenits double walls, except at points adjacent to the side doorway of thecar, thereby providing at said points spaces 1), in combination with anouter door for closing the doorway -space arranged to slide back intosaid spaces p,where 5 they are pushed apart for the purpose of openingthe doorway, substantially as described.

2. The refrigerator-carhavingitsbodylined with a non-conducting materialand inclosed by a.jacket which provides air-passages, substantially asdescribed, combined with the-icechainbers A, located at opposite ends ofthe car, and each constructed with a lower airpassage, B, and upperair-passage, B, and a partition, D, intermediate of said passages and 55 between the middle and top portion of the carspace A, substantially asset forth.

3. The refrigerator-car body lined with a suitable non-conductingmaterial and jacketed to provide surrounding air-passages opening attheends of the car into the external atmosphere, combined with theice-chamber A, 10- catcd at the ends of the car and constructed with theupper and lower air'passages, substantially as set forth, and a seriesof tubes, A, located at intervals through the top of the car from oneice-chamber to the other, and providing ventilating-passages which lead'from the interior car-space to the longitudinal air-passage that extendsover the roof, substantially as described. V V

4. The double-wall refrigerator-car body provided adjacent to its sidedoorway with spaces p, combined with the inner sliding doors, P,arrangedto slide back into said spaces, the right-and-left screw Q, for drawingthe opposing edges of said doors tightly together,

and means, substantially as set forth, for operating the saidright-and-left screw.

- In witness whereof I hereto sign my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

XVILLI'AM FLANAGAN.

Vitncsses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, FRANK NV. SEVERIN.

